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Jack The Ripper: One Autumn in Whitechapel
Available in Mobi format for Amazon Kindle, and ePub format for other E-Book readers. Please check the format you require before purchasing. "One Autumn In Whitechapel" is the eagerly-awaited Jack the Ripper epic by M.P. Priestley - entirely, and exclusively, from the original files and reports. Four years in the making, there are no conspiracy theories or wild guesses in the book - the entire text is exclusively from original accounts, cross-referenced with modern-day profiling, serial killer/murder unit methods and techniques to, for the first time, expose the grim, historically-accurate reality of the events that took place and the man who committed them. It's in detail that has never been seen before, and a new prime suspect is revealed - a suspect who hid in plain sight the entire time, lived in the local area, and fits every characteristic of a serial, sexually-motivated offender that would be looked for today. The case is presented in exquisite detail, and, unlike with other accounts that claim to name a suspect, the evidence against him is very strong. The author, M.P. Priestley, has appeared via numerous channels as an expert to speak of Jack the Ripper and serial killers - namely on CNN, CBS, and channels as far afield as Brazil, South Korea and Iran. "One Autumn In Whitechapel" is the definitive account of the "Jack the Ripper" case and finally, through an exhaustive exploration of thousands of sources, and the use of modern-day crime scene investigation and profiling techniques, once and for all, really does name the man that committed the notorious crimes.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
460 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 6, 2023
So I don't normally read non-fiction or murder stories, but I think I really liked this.
Short and sweet review;
Incredibly detailed with primary sources. TRIGGER WARNING for very detailed descriptions of the bodies, their mutilations, and positions. Crazy amount of details for what was happening in the neighborhood in the months around the murders.
But it was (to me) an overwhelming amount of details. The reader is only told of one possible identity for the Killer. My edition had many photos/visuals that were near worthless because of the print quality.
Okay now the more detailed review if you want to read it ;
Probably about 50% of the book is in quotations, as it is lifted directly from primary documents. Coroner's reports, newspapers, censuses, witness statements, and the like are quoted throughout the book. And of course, at the end, there's a complete bibliography of cited sources.
Though it's not for everyone, and I struggled with parts, the reader is also given a VERY in-depth description of the injuries to each victim. Placement, length, and depth of cuts. The pose of the body and its placement in regards to its surroundings are all very thoroughly documented. In that regard, you should proceed with serious TRIGGER WARNINGS. (Mary Kelly's death and mutilation are especially horrific, and the reader is both given a detailed written account of the scene as well as a photograph, so reader beware).
Throughout the book, Micky gives an excruciating amount of detail regarding the goings on of Whitechapel.
We are told of people, events, and crimes in the area that may or may not have been related or had an effect on the movements or actions of the killer.
Written like this, it's really up to the reader to decide what is or isn't important.
For example, on August 31st, 1888 (the same night Martha Tabram was Murdered), there was a huge fire at the warehouses of the London Docks. Was that a coincidence? Did the killer go out to view the fire, or understand that it would distract law enforcement and use that as cover for their movements? Micky doesn't tell us what is or isn't relevant, only what is known to have happened.
On to criticism. While I just applauded the extreme detail and use of primary sources, it is a LOT of information. As someone who doesn't read non-fiction it felt like a slog to read through what felt like complete accounts of each day of the inquest for every victim, or to learn the full names, ages, and occupations of everyone in the building where a victim lived. In that sense, the amount of names, dates, streets, addresses, occupations, and all manner of other details felt quite overwhelming at points.
One of my other big grudges is that he only discussed a single possible identity of the killer. He goes into plenty of detail as to that person's life, their possible routes before and after kills, as well as how'd they'd fit the profile of the killer. But I would have preferred to have briefer accounts of more possible suspects. Considering he seems to allow the reader so much freedom to decide what is and isn't important, he takes control of who to blame and doesn't provide a suspect pool. It would have been nice to he given a list of possible suspects and then been able to consider who I think was behind the crimes.
Finally, a small issue with my printing. While there are in my places photos, maps, and scans of documents some of them were... less than helpful.
The photos were all wonderful. The maps and documents... Some were good, some were vaguely usable where I could make out one or two major street names, but many (especially the documents) were simply indistinguishable grey blobs of ink. Utterly unreadable, and thus, they added nothing to the book as a whole.
And remember, this is a rare instance where you can go to London, meet the author, and have him personally walk you around London to show you the major locations of the case. I got to do that and Micky is an incredibly knowledgeable and charismatic guide, so I highly recommend his Ripper Walk.
Short and sweet review;
Incredibly detailed with primary sources. TRIGGER WARNING for very detailed descriptions of the bodies, their mutilations, and positions. Crazy amount of details for what was happening in the neighborhood in the months around the murders.
But it was (to me) an overwhelming amount of details. The reader is only told of one possible identity for the Killer. My edition had many photos/visuals that were near worthless because of the print quality.
Okay now the more detailed review if you want to read it ;
Probably about 50% of the book is in quotations, as it is lifted directly from primary documents. Coroner's reports, newspapers, censuses, witness statements, and the like are quoted throughout the book. And of course, at the end, there's a complete bibliography of cited sources.
Though it's not for everyone, and I struggled with parts, the reader is also given a VERY in-depth description of the injuries to each victim. Placement, length, and depth of cuts. The pose of the body and its placement in regards to its surroundings are all very thoroughly documented. In that regard, you should proceed with serious TRIGGER WARNINGS. (Mary Kelly's death and mutilation are especially horrific, and the reader is both given a detailed written account of the scene as well as a photograph, so reader beware).
Throughout the book, Micky gives an excruciating amount of detail regarding the goings on of Whitechapel.
We are told of people, events, and crimes in the area that may or may not have been related or had an effect on the movements or actions of the killer.
Written like this, it's really up to the reader to decide what is or isn't important.
For example, on August 31st, 1888 (the same night Martha Tabram was Murdered), there was a huge fire at the warehouses of the London Docks. Was that a coincidence? Did the killer go out to view the fire, or understand that it would distract law enforcement and use that as cover for their movements? Micky doesn't tell us what is or isn't relevant, only what is known to have happened.
On to criticism. While I just applauded the extreme detail and use of primary sources, it is a LOT of information. As someone who doesn't read non-fiction it felt like a slog to read through what felt like complete accounts of each day of the inquest for every victim, or to learn the full names, ages, and occupations of everyone in the building where a victim lived. In that sense, the amount of names, dates, streets, addresses, occupations, and all manner of other details felt quite overwhelming at points.
One of my other big grudges is that he only discussed a single possible identity of the killer. He goes into plenty of detail as to that person's life, their possible routes before and after kills, as well as how'd they'd fit the profile of the killer. But I would have preferred to have briefer accounts of more possible suspects. Considering he seems to allow the reader so much freedom to decide what is and isn't important, he takes control of who to blame and doesn't provide a suspect pool. It would have been nice to he given a list of possible suspects and then been able to consider who I think was behind the crimes.
Finally, a small issue with my printing. While there are in my places photos, maps, and scans of documents some of them were... less than helpful.
The photos were all wonderful. The maps and documents... Some were good, some were vaguely usable where I could make out one or two major street names, but many (especially the documents) were simply indistinguishable grey blobs of ink. Utterly unreadable, and thus, they added nothing to the book as a whole.
And remember, this is a rare instance where you can go to London, meet the author, and have him personally walk you around London to show you the major locations of the case. I got to do that and Micky is an incredibly knowledgeable and charismatic guide, so I highly recommend his Ripper Walk.
September 25, 2023
I got this book after taking the Jack the Ripper tour with Mick Priestley. I have to say, it was incredible to learn all of the extra information about the Ripper murders! Priestley explains that there were other murders happening at the same time: The Embankment Killer or the Torso Murders, that may or may not be connected to the Ripper. They were happening at the same time, in the same general area, but in a different way. He also talks about the possibility of eight victims instead of five (six if you include Martha Tabram, which Priestly seems to count). He gives solid evidence and reasons why he thinks there were eight victims, and who he believes the murderer is and why. He also talks about possible motives and really goes into detail about ritualistic murders, sexual murders, and how each of the women were found. He does this without lessening the importance of the women as people, and also explains that while they all lived in Whitechapel and were of the working class, not all of them were prostitutes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Jack the Ripper murders.
October 25, 2023
Detailed and thorough, this book examines the events of the Whitechapel (Jack the Ripper) murders. The events are almost solely in 1888, but other crimes are detailed as well that are or could be linked with the murderer. While popular culture revolves around the being of JtR, the author here brings the victims to life and humanizes them. This is what is quite refreshing for this book. The author uses police reports, details of the times and events of the area in the late 1880's, media reports and relevant information to detail the events up-to, during and after the crimes. Each one is detailed to the last grisly detail. He even has a quite plausible suspect that is not that well known, but the amount of evidence is significant.
This is a must read for any student of true crime or 'ripperologist'
This is a must read for any student of true crime or 'ripperologist'
June 17, 2024
One Autumn in Whitechapel by M.P. Priestley is a must read for anyone interested in the horrifying legend of Jack the Ripper. It maintains a great balance of hard facts and sympathetic humanity to the women who were killed so brutally. Coincidentally this is written (and signed) by good ol Mitch who was my tour guide for the Jack the Ripper tour. I really recommend this!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews